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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt"><img width="185" height="60" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.gif@01D18F42.78C672E0"></span></b><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For Immediate Release<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>April 5, 2016<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">CONTACT: Charlie Burr, BOLI, (971) 673-0788 <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;color:black">More than 100 workers to receive $924,000 from SOU wage settlement<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="color:black">BOLI receives final payment from SOU for record $2.5 million settlement agreement<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">PORTLAND, OR—The Bureau of Labor and Industries has directed an additional $924,000 to 116 employees who</span>
<span style="color:black">worked on a public works project for Southern Oregon University (SOU) comprised of a dining hall and two student residences, the agency announced today.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">A late December wage settlement agreement of $2.5 million represented the largest in the agency’s history. Under terms of the agreement, the university made</span> an initial $1,508,542.88 payment to BOLI on behalf
of 179 workers in December. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Last week, BOLI received the remaining settlement payment from SOU for $1,008,918.91.BOLI has since mailed payments to all workers who’ve signed individual releases of claims and for whom SOU has social security numbers. An additional twenty
nine workers will be sent $84,360.02 after the agency receives signed releases.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“<b>I’m very happy to see these additional workers receive full wages to which they’re entitled</b>,” said Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian. “<b>Any public agency or contractor that has questions about Oregon’s prevailing wage law can contact
us a<span style="color:black">bout whether a project requires payment of prevailing wage rates</span></b><span style="color:black">.”
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">A copy of the wage settlement agreement can be found
</span><a href="http://www.oregon.gov/boli/SiteAssets/pages/press/SOU%20Settlement%20Agreement.pdf">here</a><span style="color:black">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The agreement releases SOU and other parties from future wage claims stemming from the project while admitting no wrongdoing or liability on the disputed wages.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Starting in late 2013, BOLI’s Wage and Hour Division initiated a series of prevailing wage audits after questions arose about the SOU project during a separate investigation.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The prevailing wage inquiry – comprised of 80 audits — found that 44 contractors and subcontractors could owe $2,569,387 to workers on the project. Prior to the settlement, the agency secured about $52,000 in wage payments.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Construction of the residence halls and dining hall began in 2012, with all three buildings completed in the first week of September 2013. The buildings replace the Cascade Complex, a single structure with residence halls and a common dining
area. The same architect and general contractor performed work on the project, with most first-tier subcontractors working on all three buildings.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="color:black">###</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Charlie Burr<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Communications Director<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">800 NE Oregon Street, Suite 1045<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Portland, Oregon 97232<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tel: 971-673-0788<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Cell: 503-913-5407<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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